Guide Dots Android and iOS App Introduced for the Visually Impaired

| Updated: Wednesday, April 30, 2014, 11:46 [IST]

So exactly how hard it is to cross the road when something on the road makes you partially blind? Ask a man who is visually impaired and has to deal with that every day of his life. However, it seems like help is on the way in the form of an iOS or Android app.

According to reports, a brand new app known as Guide Dots, developed for the visually impaired, will now help them locate places, identify people and even determine hazards in their way.

Guide Dots Android and iOS App Introduced for the Visually Impaired

But that's not all as the Guide Dots app will also come integrated with the TalkBack feature where the person will get answers about his desired locations with the app saying out loud the names of attractions, restaurants, restrooms and shops nearby.

"We let people know what's around them more than a cane can, broadening their horizon more than a six foot circle around them," said Deborah Vandeven, global chief creative officer at VML, based in Kansas City, Missouri, which created the app.

One dowloaded and installed, the app will allow users to tap the Nearby button to hear a voiceover of places that are around them. Users can also tag walkway obstructions, restrooms, and places on interest, and even share the feedback of the whole experience with other users of the app.

"This will help move you those last couple feet that for a visually impaired person could be the size of the Grand Canyon, so beacons are definitely a good use case for that," Vandeven added.

As of now, there are 285 million visually impaired people worldwide, and out of them 39 million are blind, according to the World Health Organization.